Dehydrator



Nov. 23, -1937. o, w. RANDOLPH DEHYDRATOR Filed Jan. 20, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 23, 1937. o, w. RANDOLPH DEHYDRATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jg. 20, 1936 Nov. 23, 1937.

O. W. RANDOLPH DEHYDRATOR Filed Jan. 20, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 00m/mpi NOV 23, 1937- o. w. RANDOLPH DEHYDHATOR Filed Jan. 20, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 NOV. 23, 1937. o, W RANDOLPH A 2,100,150

DEHYDRATOR Filed Jan. 2o, l1936 5 sheets-sheet 5 C' CIEEIENAEAIEIEIEIEEI Patentedv Nov. 23, 1,937

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE DEHYDEATOR.

Oliver W. Randolph, Toledo, Ohio Application January 20, 1936, Serial No. 59,925

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the removal of moisture from material, especially moisture incidental to growth and cropA conditions as forage crops.

'I'his invention has utility when incorporated l in apparatus for conveying and agitating the material, while supplementing said conveying and agitating with air currents in effecting dehydration treatment.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts: brpkenI away, of an embodiment of the invention, more particularly as adapted to the handling of foliage crops, such as alfalfa;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 1, parts being broken away;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of portions of the apparatus of Fig. 1, to the left of the showing in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram of electric control connections;

Fig. 5 is an end view from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a partial section on the line VI-VI, Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the loosening-up device;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view showing the relation of the picker clean-0E as to the loosening device rake;

y Fig. 9 is a section on the line IX-IX, Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of belt in the treating section;

Fig. 11 is a partial section on the line XI-Xl, Fi'g. 1, showing features of the spreader; and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view on the line XII-XII, Fig. 1, showing the take-olf for treated material.

Receiving deck I (Fig. 2) may have dumped thereinto material supply of freshly cut grass, hay, or even root or head crops. Such material 40 passes by way of chute or directing walls 2 to conveyor 3 and chopper 4, driven by motor 5. This material as passing the chopper 4 enters blower 6. Reserve fuel supply as oil tank 1 (Fig. 5) has pipe line 8 therefrom to burner 9 in furnace I0 having air supply I I as a constant supply about and from the combustion chamber in this furnace I0. equipped with louvers I2 having adjustment means I3 for supply of further fresh air.

This controlled volume of warm air from the furnace I0 is acted upon by blower I4 (Fig. 3) mounted on shaft I5, driven by belt I6 from motor Il. This blower I4 has main discharge through tunnel I8, from which there is branch of features Additionauy, this furnace l0 is outlet I9 (Figs. 2, 6) providing warmed air supply for the elevator blower 6, from which extends ascending duct 20 (Figs. 1, 2, 6). This duct 20 terminates in down spout 2| having spill terminus 22 (Fig. 11) with depending fixed extension therefrom in which is mounted fulcrum pin 23 carrying swingable slotted arm 24 in which is adjustable block 25, from which extends connecting rod or link 26 to block 21 in slot 28 of arm 29. The block 21 is radially adjustable v10 by screw 30. This arm 29 is fixed with shaft` 3| A having thereon`worm wheel 32 actuated by. worm 33 on shaft 34 of motor 35. Fixed with this rocking arm 24 is spreader chute 36 swingingA transversely in hopper 3l (Fig. 6). About thischute 36, there is opening 38 which allows exhausting laterally in the swing region of the hot air of this elevator conveyor, which air is moisture laden and has effected initial moisture extraction from this material being handled. 2

Motor 39 (Fig. l) through speed reduction 40 drives shaft 4I and pulley 42 fixed thereon, and about which passes belt sprocket chain 43 past belt tightener 44 over pulleys 45, 46, to drive conveyor pulley 4l, say eight feet per minute. The pulleys of the succesion of these conveyor drives are proportioned for desired rate of speed reduci tion, as seven and one-half feet per minute for pulley 48, seven feet per minute for pulley 49, six and one-half feet per minute for" pulley 50, land six feet per minute for pulley 45. These pulleys are on shafts 52 carrying drums 53 (Fig. 9), about which pass wire mesh links 54 (Fig. 10). of conveyor belt having flights 55 fixed thereon. The upper reach of the conveyor belt 54 is for travel to the pulley 41 in treating section housing 56. 'Ihis uppermost reach 5l is passed about pulley 58 (Fig. 6) and accordingly has provided a movable bottom for the hopper 3l, effective to convey the delivered material from this hopper 3l as a spreader section into loosening device at chamber 59 under roof 59 normally trapped from chamber 68 in the hopper 3l by material" 6I approximately closing off this chamber 60 from the section 59 due to depending wall 62.

From the blower I4 there is a branch hot air duct 83 (Figs. 3, 6) which, in the instance of for- 4age, provides a wilting temperature as such warmed air enters housing 64 and the air may pass up into the material as spread upon the conveyor belt reach 5l. This air as forced into this 'section may be taken out by way of port 65. Duct 65' takes any lines from the chopped material which may sift through the conveyor belt and be brought theretoward by the ight 56 inthe lower reach of this upper conveyor.V These ilnes may pass air-iiow checking valve 66 delivering t0 discharge connection 66 connected to the eleva tor blower 6. This valve 66 is driven by beltA 66" from a conveyor pulley and keeps the duct 65 emgtly while preventing air iiow out to the blower 1 At this wilting chamber 59 there is motor 61 having `speed reduction drive 68 connected through belt |59A with drive shaft 10 (Figs. 6, 7). This shaft 10 carries therefrom frame 1| having belt tightener adjustment 12 for follower shaft 13. Upon the shaft 10 is mounted sprocket wheel 14 having sprocket chain 15 thereabout extending' to sprocket wheel 16 on the shaft 13. This sprocket belt structure carries cross pipes or bars 11 (Fig. 8) upon which are mounted claws 18' This iluiied-up, spread material may pass from this chamber 59 to the treating chamber or treating section housing 56. In entering this housing the material has its wilting or dehydrating air cut-oi from direct ow therewith due to exible wiper 82 (Fig. 6) above the reach 51, wipers 83, 84, mounted by frame 85 between the reaches of this upper conveyor, and wiper 86 as to the lower side of this upper conveyor. These flexible wipers 82, 86, have sufficient clearance flexibility to allow the flights 55 to pass, while this upper` wiper 912 is suiiciently exible to retain the spreadv mal terial against being blown through this air trap or valve.

Motor 81 (Fig. 1) has speed reduction drive 88 operating shaft 89 at relatively high speed compared with the travel oi.' the conveyor reach 51 to operate picker claws 90 (Fig. 6) as are-loosening up device against packing resulting from the exible wiper 82. This loosening up of the wilted material by the relatively. high speed picker arms 90 is not such as to ilui this green or moist material to the end thatit is drawn olf in passage 9|.

This passage 9| is a delivery way into suction fans 92 (Fig. 2) .n 94 to drive shaft 95 for the pair of fans 92 in' fan housings 96. There is thus provided eiective take-olf or sub-atmospheric pressure condition for the delivery or air discharge sides of this treating chamber housing. This air exhausted from these rotary fans 92 is delivered to ways 91 into vertically open exhausts 98. These'ex.- hausts, accordingly, are not responsive to the direction of air current or winds so that they are continuously eiective to spill the drawn-oir air. from the treating chamber or housing.

The reach 51 in the housing 56 is short of the extent of longitudinally staggered succeeding conveyor operated from the pulley 48. There is, accordingly, provided a receiving portion 99 (Fig. 9) for this succeeding of the superposed belts or conveyors as to the supply belt or Vconveyor thereover. From the conveyor thereover, belt operates shaft |0| having claws or picker arms |02, eilective as loosening means for the partially A motor 93 is connected by belt Y dehydrated ilow of material, iluiiing, tedding, or separating such in its descent toward this receiving portion 99. This yreceiving portion 99 is protected against up draft therethrough by diaphragm or valve portion |03 extending a distance to direct rising warm air only through the re-laid iiuiled material. 'I'he diierence in speed of these succeeding ones of the superposed conveyors is such that this loosening up stage or fluiing may re-distribute the fractionally' dehydrated ma.- terial in approximating such distribution that the material is uniform over the region of the conveyor belts and is effective in providing a uniform draft resistance so that there is approximated uniformity in the passage of the warming air through the several upper reaches of the various conveyors in the back and forth travel of the treated material through this chamber.

'I'he lowermost of these conveyors extends about drum driven by the pulley 45 and in housing extension |04 (Fig. 9). Flexible valve means |05, |06, |01, on intermediate frame |98 and lower valve |09 trap the chamber of this housing |04 drated material may fall upon screw conveyor I0 driven by speed reduction (Figs. 1, 12) from motor ||2. Additionally to these flexible wipers, the scroll conveyor |I0 is eiective against blowing oi of warmed air from the tunnel I8 (Fig. 6) in passing of said air to chamber ||3 below the lowermost belt. volume of warmed air supply passesl upward through material on the succeeding upper reaches of the conveyor belts. As so pressure-supplied, thiswarmed air supply hasI further factor for eiective even distribution thereof due to subatmospheric pressure from the upper take-oil! fans 92. There is accordingly an eiective capacity which may be flexible in response to widely varying atmospheric conditions as well as widely varying rate of material handling.

The motor drive 39 is adjustable as to the speed of these conveyor belts in varying the capacity. Likewise there may be desired conditions to vary the thickness of the spread material from the chamber 59, and this is effected by rocking the frame 1| due to the action of hand screw I4 (Fig. 1) acting on block ||5 xed with the shaft 13. Inspection of the chamber ||6 above the cham.- ber ||3 is conveniently had through doors ||1 (Fig. 1), while access to the chamber ||3 may be had through door I8. Access to the upper reach of th belt through and into the housing may be had by doors 9 (Fig. 1).

, By throwing in switch |20, the supply device on one side of the housing from feeding deck may be effected, while upon operating switch |2| lthe feeding deck on the opposite -side may be effective. In throwing in either motor there is simultaneously cut-in motor 35 for the spreader, motor 61 for the loosening up, and motor 81- for `the supplemental loosening as well as the drive for the blower 6, conveyor motor 39 and discharge scroll motor ||2. Tighteners |22 are provided for the conveyors. Rubber belt sections |23 cooperate with the valve portion |03 similarly in acvtionto the wiper 82.

`from the treating chamber so that this dehyf- Due to the blower capacity, this between the conveyors, drive means causing the rake and agitators each to be movable relatively to the housing and conveyors, sealing means providing a partition dividing the housing into a charging and spreading compartment, a drying compartment, and separate air supply means for each compartment independent of air re-circulation therebetween, said chute and rake being operable in said air-supplied spreading compartment.

2.- A drier housing including partition means therein providing a plurality of compartments, said housing having a supply opening for receiving the material to be treated, and a discharge opening for delivering treated material therefrom, means for charging material into the housing through the charging opening, said means and supply opening providing in the housing a charging and spreading compartment, conveyors through said compartment and therefrom through the housing, said housing providing an additional drier compartment spaced from said charging and spreading compartment by said partition means, through which drier compartment said conveyors extend from the charging and spreading compartment, and means for supplying upwardly owing drying air independently to said compartments.

3. A drier housing, there being lcharging and discharging openings in the housing, means for charging material through the charging opening, superimposed conveyors fo'r conveying the material from the charging opening to the discharging opening, sealing means providing a partition dividing the housing into a charging compartment and a drying compartment inter.- mediate the ends of the upper conveyor, separate air supply means having an intake duct connected to the lower part of each compartment for owing drying air upward through each compartment separate from the other and through the diierent conveyors independently of air recirculation therebetween, an adjustable spreading rake in the charging compartment between the air supply to the compartment and exhaust from the compartment, and actuating means for driving the rake in eiecting movement thereof relatively to the housing and conveyors.

OLIVER W. RANDOLPH. 

